CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – With seven candidates lining up to replace Deanna McLaughlin as the City Council representative for Ward 2, here’s a deeper look at each candidate’s background and what they had to say to the council.
Ward 2 is on the west side of Clarksville, bounded roughly by Purple Heart Parkway on the north, Fort Campbell Boulevard on the east and Dover Road on the south.
1. Eric Claunch
U.S. Army veteran Eric Claunch has an MBA in organizational management, and after his time in the Army, he worked for the nonprofit Homebuilders Institute. “That’s where we focused on assisting transitioning service members in finding careers in the trades,” he said.
Currently, Claunch works various jobs around Clarksville, and he told the City Council he would be a valuable addition to the government body because of his exposure to different environments, while also bringing in a different kind of perspective.
Claunch said his priorities, if appointed, would be supporting Clarksville’s youth, infrastructure and fiscal responsibility.
2. AC Lopez
In 2022, AC Lopez campaigned to be elected as mayor of Clarksville. Lopez is a U.S. Marine Corps and Army veteran who medically retired from Fort Campbell in 2017. He served almost 22 years of active-duty service with multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
He told the City Council he was inspired to apply for the vacant position because of his wife and their shared love of Clarksville.
He also said that community leaders such as the late Kenny York, County Commissioner Joshua Beal, and the late Rep. Jeff Burkhart made an impact on him to run for appointment.
3. Jeff Loyd
Longtime resident Jeff Loyd attended Clarksville schools all the way through.
“I’ve attended Ringgold (Elementary), New Providence (Middle) and Northwest High School, and I worked my first job at Stokes Field,” Loyd said. “Later, in college, I got a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. Then, I attended Northwestern University where I pursued a career in prosthetics and orthotics.”
Loyd said he has lived in Ward 2 for the past 10 years, and he’s watched Clarksville grow into one of the fastest growing cities in Tennessee. He said that while growth brings opportunity, it also brings the responsibility to ensure progress serves all of Clarksville citizens.
“I was born without my leg, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve had to rely on a wheelchair to help me get around,” Loyd said. “Clarksville’s home to one of the largest populations of retirees and disabled veterans, as well as many disabled citizens like myself. Yet too often accessibility is treated as an add-on rather than a priority. Accessibility is not a special interest; it’s community planning done right.”
4. Deanna Shepard
Deanna Shepard told the council that for the past 25 years, she has served the people of Clarksville through leadership in healthcare. Now, she’s interested in serving the community in a different way.
Shepard currently serves as the senior manager of quality and value-based care at Tennessee Oncology. Through her last 25 years of experience, she said that her roles have required collaboration, strategic planning and clear communication.
“Through this work I’ve learned that effective leadership is not about titles,” she said. “It’s about serving people with humility, clear intention and commitment to outcomes that improves lives. I’ve worked with healthcare teams facing complex challenges and learned firsthand how to collaboratively problem solve.”
Shepard said thoughtful listening and resilience do lead to real and lasting progress, which is what she’s hoping to do if appointed.
5. Ross St. Louis
Ross St. Louis is a Marine Corps veteran and has lived in Clarksville-Montgomery County since 2006. Previously, he served as a firefighter and technician for Woodlawn Fire Rescue, while he remains active in his community as a member of the Woodlawn Estates Neighborhood Watch Group.
“What I see myself as is a servant,” St. Louis told the council. “Not just a servant of my household and my church, I see myself as a servant of my neighborhood.”
St. Louis also serves as a member of the Dash 10 Media team, and he said throughout this role he has worked hand-in-hand with the Clarksville Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, as well as other first-responders.
“One thing I can tell you that they will say about me is that I am very helpful person, I do have a servant heart and one thing above all else is that I want my neighborhoods to be safe.”
6. David Upchurch
David Upchurch is a 22-year-old full-time political science major from Austin Peay State University. Upchurch told the council that he is early on in his political career, but he’s a firm believer in setting the tone and going for it.
“I’m a go-getter, I’m ambitious, I don’t think there are any other 22-year-olds who can come up here and say they talked to the City Council for a ward position,” he said.
Upchurch said that he’s a firm believer in putting aside differences when it comes to helping Clarksville. He said he’s also a firm believer in using love and kindness to do what is right and move forward.
“I’m really excited to, hopefully, bring more people together – especially the youth,” Upchurch said. He said he expects to graduate in December.
7. Jeremy Wright
Jeremy Wright works in the financial aid department at Nashville State Community College. After growing up near Murfreesboro and Nashville, Wright said he and his family choose to lay down roots in Clarksville in 2018. “That was one of the best decisions of my life,” he said.
Wright said that Ward 2 deserves a representative who is invested in the community while being fiscally responsible during this high growth period.
“I spent a lot of my career in positions that require a lot of knowledge and a lot of coalition building,” Wright said. “I do hold an MBA, and I’m currently finishing up a master’s in education. That should be completed hopefully by the summer semester.”
Wright said he deals with the hard reality of economics and fiscal awareness every day, and he’s hopeful he can bring his experience and mindset to the City Council.
What’s next for Ward 2 appointment?
The City Council will appoint one of the candidates on Wednesday, Feb. 11, during a special called meeting beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Below are the special session voting procedures as the City Council will look to fill the vacant position.
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